Related Application
This patent application is related to my U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,389 entitled "AUTOMATIC SMOKE EVACUATOR ACTIVATOR SYSTEM FOR A SURGICAL LASER APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREFOR", filed May 23, 1990, and is incorporated by reference thereto.
This patent application is also related to my co-pending patent application entitled "RADIO FREQUENCY SENSOR FOR AUTOMATIC SMOKE EVACUATOR SYSTEM FOR A SURGICAL LASER AND/OR ELECTROSURGICAL APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREFOR" which is being simultaneously filed with the present application and is incorporated by reference thereto.
This patent application is also related to my patent application entitled "AUTOMATIC EVACUATOR SYSTEM FOR A SURGICAL LASER APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREFOR" that was filed on Sep. 24, 1991 as a Continuation-In-Part patent application of patent application Ser. No. 07/527,589 which has issued (as identified above) as U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,389.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention refers in general to automatic smoke evacuator systems and methods therefor for a laser surgical and electrosurgical unit (ESU) and, in particular, to apparatus and methods therefor for the hand piece and smoke evacuation shroud arrangements used in such a laser surgical and electrosurgical unit (ESU).
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a surgical laser apparatus utilized a smoke evacuator system which was manually turned on and off, but which was generally continuously operated during a surgical laser procedure (laparotomy). A smoke evacuator system functioned as part of a surgical laser and ESU apparatus. The smoke evacuator systems of many surgical laser and ESU apparatus produced a constant noise during its use or operation, used a high amount of electrical energy and the continuous air pressure on the filter element of the smoke evacuator systems of the surgical laser and ESU apparatus usually saturated or overloaded the system's filter thereby increasing the risk of allowing toxic fumes which were supposed to be evacuated from the surgical area to escape uncontrolled into the medical operating room rather than being vented outside in accord with the intended function of the smoke evacuator system. Further, for safety purposes, the FDA does not allow any device to be in electrical contact with the control circuitry of a surgical laser. Therefore, there was clearly great benefit to the surgeon and to the operating room staff if the smoke evacuator systems of the surgical laser and ESU apparatus was activated only during the period of time the laser surgical and ESU apparatus was actually in operation. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,389 provides a solution to these problems of past systems by providing an automatic smoke evacuator system in which the required activation of the smoke evacuator is initiated by the interruption of a beam of electromagnetic radiation. In the preferred embodiment, the beam of electromagnetic radiation is an infrared beam which is interrupted by a foot switch which is coupled to the laser ESU and which controls its actuation. As is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,389, this system greatly improves the safety and effectiveness of the operating environment for laser surgical and ESU procedures and has provided great benefit in it use. As additional experience has been obtained in the use of this system, the possibility for the improved and more effective operation of the laser surgery and electrosurgery handpiece and its associated smoke evacuator shroud has emerged.
In order to evacuate the smoke from the surgical field in laparotomy when an ESU handpiece is used for cutting and coagulation, several methods have been used which functioned but which had a low efficiency. In order to be efficient, the shroud which performs the smoke collection function must be as close as possible to the operating tip of the handpiece where the smoke is generated. The problem with prior apparatus and methods was that arrangements for smoke collection which were more efficient tended to obstruct the view of the surgeon making use of the handpiece very difficult. Accordingly, there was a need for an improved handpiece and shroud arrangement which provided for efficient smoke collection without obstructing the surgeon's view of the surgical site.